"Expectations"

by Shelby Toth - News Editor

Tue, Apr 10th 2018 12:35 pm

In her much anticipated debut studio album, “Expectations,” millennial bisexual icon Hayley Kiyoko delivered upbeat tracks that were unapologetically LGBT. The album features catchy melodies, and deals with heartache, love and many other cliché themes that one can expect from a pop album.

The album, which debuted in the top 40 charts of multiple countries, opened with the track “Expectations (Overture),” a slower song featuring calming sounds and chords, with Kiyoko harmonizing over it all. The song is a beautiful introduction, but felt almost out of place as it delivered The 1975-esque sounds in an album otherwise filled with a blend of today’s pop and the type of music Kiyoko has become known for.

“What I Need” is one of the highest rated songs off the album, featuring artist Kehlani. This song deals in part with the problem of one person in the relationship not as willing to express their love in public as the other. With the lyrics “When we’re all alone, girl, you wanna own it/ When we’re with your fam, you don’t wanna show it/ Oh, you try to keep us on the low,” the duo captures the pressure many LGBT teens and adults feel when entering into a relationship.

Other tracks, such as “Sleepover,” also work to depict common problems faced by LGBT people, while still being relatable enough in message to cater to a wide audience. “Sleepover” itself deals with the uncertainty of a friend feeling the same way about you as you do them, and the loneliness that can develop from that. The song is a bit slower than some of the others, but makes for a calming car jam.

The other top song from the album, “Curious,” is more upbeat, with repetitive lyrics that makes for quick learning. The song also uses a subtle method to show it’s about a girl by placing the object of the song with a man. Kiyoko sings to the girl, contemplating if the new man the girl is with is a serious prospect or not. This is a common theme throughout the album.

Overall, the album represents a stereotypical pop album with an LGBT twist. This is important, as many will tell you, as it helps to normalize gay culture and makes it more accessible for both LGBT people and heterosexual people alike. While the sound isn’t anything very new or exciting, it still makes for a good listen.